


Mabel's Place

by EriSkyHigh



Series: Earning Your Place [1]
Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: Before Summer, Bullying, Character Development, Cute Sibling Moment, Gen, Mabel Pines Being Mabel Pines, Middle School, Pre-Canon, Sibling Bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-04
Updated: 2017-09-04
Packaged: 2018-12-23 18:02:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11995098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EriSkyHigh/pseuds/EriSkyHigh
Summary: The last few weeks before summer couldn’t be any slower. Mabel finds herself to be the victim of some not so friendly bullying. Fitting in couldn’t get any harder, could it?Luckily, when the twins face hardships they are always there for each other. A heartwarming tale of how Mabel came to be the Mabel we love her for.--Was it fate how each person was gathered together to complete Bill Cipher’s wheel? How was each person chosen - or did they have to earn their place? Each character learns a lesson that helps shape them into the person the prophecy told of.Learn what each of them had to go through before Weirdmageddon in order to earn their place. And learn what prevented the prophecy from coming true. A series of shorts with each character's personal journey explained.





	Mabel's Place

**Author's Note:**

> Mabel comes across a little selfish at times during the series. But is she really? This story explains what happened before summer in Gravity Falls and looks at what might have caused Mabel to act the way she was.
> 
> Some inspiration came from a really cute song.  
> Unique by Lenka

_“After I promised I wouldn’t eat anymore stickers, the Doctor gave me one as a reward for being so brave. That’s how I learned my lesson to never eat scratch n sniff stickers no matter how delicious they smell. The end.”_

Several girls started to snicker as Mabel finished the reading of her story to the class. Mrs. Leah had been requesting the cLass to write a two stories every week from a list of topics. The students would be able to finish middle school with a book of memories as they “started the next big chapter in life” as Mrs. Leah put it.

This week Mabel had started with _A Time I Was Brave._ She was proud at herself for realizing that hospitals and doctors weren’t scary - they were there to help. Mabel turned her notebook around. “And this is that sticker! I save it! It wasn’t a scratch n sniff sticker probably because she thought I might eat it. But as you can tell it’s a puffy sticker which is just as good. She was a really cool Doctor and I might even grow up to be a Doctor someday too but, that’s _way_ in the future.”

“Fantastic job Mabel! Who wants to go next?” Mrs. Leah turned to the class and continuEd on with the lesson.

It wasn’t until class had ended and Mabel was packing up that the snickering girls approached her asking about her story.

“Did you really eat stickers because you thought they smelled good? That’s not normal.” one of them asked. Mabel could tell they weren’t genuinely interested in her story. They seemed to be lAughing at the concept.

“Well, yeah. I was little. I don’t do it anymore.” Mabel was on the defence.

“O-m-g, Mabel!” said the second girl with her face scRunching up in disgust. “Didn’t you know that was bad? Like, everyone else knows!”

For a moment Mabel wasn’t sure what to say. Why were they being so mean? “I was little. I know that now.” She felt like she could shrink. Maybe escaping into her sweater would protect her.

“No way, guys. She probably eats all kinds of weird things. Only outcasts don’t understand what isn’t food. You’re the reason they make school supplies non toxic. My Dad told me they have to do it because dumb kids will eat anything.” The third girl spoke without looking at Mabel, as if she wasn’t even in froNt of them anymore.

Mabel saw Dipper stand up at his desk and look over towards her with concern. “I have to go.” She ran to him and yanked on his arm to rush him out of the classroom. Mabel was done with this conversation and ready to go home.

“Are you okay? Were those girls picking on you or something?” Dipper was concerned.

“I’m okay. I just wanna go home right now.” Mabel smiled. He was always going to be there for her. That was something she could always count on.

The next few days Mabel was odd - even for her standards. She couldn’t help but be aware of the girls in class giggling when she walked into the room. They’d turn their heads and whisper things like it was going out of style. For once in her life Mabel was quite and uncertain of herself. She had thought she was normal but now? Now she didn’t feel like she fit in. What could she do?

“Taste any good stickers laTely?” the girls laughed; Mabel looked away. What was the point in fighting with them if they didn't listen to her?

“Class, today we'll be starting our next stories.” Mabel wasn't in the writing mood. “Today's topics are _Someone You Look Up To_ or _What You'll Be When You Grow Up._ ” Mrs. Leah looked around the room, pleased with herself. “You’ll each be presenting it tomorrow. So come prepared.”

_O_ _h great._ Mabel thOught. _Another story for them to make fun of._ Then she noticed Dipper looking over at her.

Dipper didn’t ask until the two were home in Mabel’s room. “Hey, what's going on with you?” The look on Dipper’s face told Mabel that he wasn't going to let it go. He could always tell when she was dealing with something hard and always knew when to step in and help her.

“Oh Dipper. Those girls just keep making fun of me for eating those stickers. And all I wanna do it fit in. Why do I always do things others don’t?”

“Mabel, why do you care about fitting in? You’ve aLways just been you.”

“All the girls in class talk about having boyfriends and going to the mall. While I’m just over here with my sticker collection and knitting sweaters.” Mabel threw her head back and looked at the ceiling. “What’s so great about being me if I don’t fit in?”

“You’re always confident. You aren’t afraid to be whO you are. Mabel, everyone had some story that was superficial and you were the one who wrote something real.” Dipper smiled. “I couldn’t even bring myself to write something that might make me look silly. I really wish I could have your confidence.”

“You did?” Mabel paused to think about this. _He wishes he could do what I did? But I didn’t do anything special. I was just being myself when I wrote that._ “Why would you want to be like me? I don’t even fit in, Dipper.”

“Because you know who you are. You walk into a room and don’t feel like you’re going to mess something up. You don’t over think things like me. I can’t eVen talk to people without a game plan. Meanwhile you always seem to know what to say and do.” Dipper looked down, as if he was a little embarrassed of his confession.

“I never thought about that. I guess I just do those things without thinking about it. But if you were me, you wouldn’t have eaten the stickers.”

“I wouldn’t have smelled them either.” Dipper admitted to Mabel. He looked down for a moment, then back up with a smile. “I wouldn’t have even thought about it. But you always have fun. You don’t see the world as everyone else. It's a scratch n sniff sticker to you. And so you get to enjoy things that not evEryone stops to consider.”

“Dipper.” Mabel was shocked. She had no idea she was able to see the world differently. “Okay. I’ll do it!”

“Huh Do what?” Dipper had tried to give her encouragement. He didn’t realize she was going to take it as advice to go do something.

“Tomorrow I’m going to school and doing everything my way! No more trying to fit in. I’m gonna smell all the scratch n sniff stickers in the world!”  Mabel stood on her bed with her fist in the air, screaming out in pride. “And no one will stop me! I’m bringing all my stickers to school tomorrow and showing them, I am me. I don’t have to be like theY are!” Dipper leaned back, a bit shocked about how Mabel had completely changed her attitude after their short conversation. Then he laughed - that was why he loved his sister. Mabel looked down at him and laughed too.

Mabel walked down the hallway towards her class with a giant book under her arm. She was finally prepared to face those girls and be who she was. She no longer needed to fit in. She wanted to stand out.

“MOrning everybody!” Mabel said throwing the door open and walking inside with Dipper.

“Hello. You’re full of energy this morning Mabel.” Mrs. Leah smiled at her.

“I sure am! That’s because I wrote the best story and even brought some stUff to show the class today!”

When it was time to start presenting their stories Mabel volunteered to go first. She stood in front of the class and with her giant book in her arms. “This is my sticker book. I know not everyone here collects stickers. But these stickers are more than just a collection. They are apart of who I am. I’m a sticker collecting, sweater knitting, animal loving kind of girl. I do things my own way.” The girls looked at Mabel in annoyance - and Mabel didn’t let it stop her.

“Mrs. Leah. This isn’t even the story. Do we have to listen to her go off about her sticker collection?” One of the girl’s whined. Mrs. Leah gave the girl a steRn look for a moment - probably for being rude. Then looked towards Mabel.

“Honey. You are going somewhere with this, right? And it does have to do with your story?” Mrs. Leah always wanted to always give her students the benefit of the doubt.

“I sure am Mrs. Leah. It’ll only take a moment longer. I promise.” Mabel held up her hand as if she was swearing on her life that it was almoSt over. Mrs. Leah nodded and allowed Mabel to continue on.

“I like to climb our cat tower even though our parents don’t seem to like it and say it’s not for me. When we go out for ice cream I can’t order until I’ve sampled every single flavor. And then I still pick the same flavor I always get.”

Mabel pulled out her papEr. “I know I’m different. I live in my own world. But there’s one person who loves me anyway and his name is Dipper. He is the person I look up to the most.” She looked down at her paper and started to read. “ _The person I look up to the most is Dipper, my twin brother._ ”

When she was finished the class clapped. They thought her added introduction was very creative - and when the girls went up to her after class, Mabel just smiled at them.

“You are so weird. Like you don’t fit in with anyone in this cLass.” One of the girls said.

“Maybe, but you know what?” Mabel was smiling at her. “I don’t need to. I’m okay being me.” With that girls walked off with a huff.

Dipper walked over to Mabel smiling. He was proud of her for standing up for herselF. “That was awesome Mabel. And thanks for writing about me in your story. I look up to you too.”

“Aw. Dipper!”

“Awkward sibling hug?” Dipper opened his arms.

“Awkward sibling hug.” The two embraced each other for a moment before both lifting their arms and chanting “Pat. Pat.”

Dipper pulled away. “You really showed them. They’ll probably leave you alone in high school too.”

“Dipper. Dipper. Dipper.” Mabel cooed. “I don’t want them to leave me alone next year.” She held her hands up to the sky dramatically as she yelled. “I want them to rue the day they said I couldn’t fit in! I’ll come back next year after having had the most perfect summer romance! They’ll be jealous they aren’t more like me! That’s the Mabel difference!”

Dipper just stepped back, gazing at his sister in awe. “Now come on Dipper!” Mabel grabbed his arm and dragged him. “I only have one more week left before summer to plan! This will be the best summer ever.” She ran ahead of him in her shooting star sweater.

**Author's Note:**

> See guys? Mabel isn't selfish. She just sees the world differently than the rest of us!


End file.
